KARACHI, Nov 23: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, said here on Tuesday that if President General Musharraf did not remove his army uniform, the alliance would not accept him as legitimate president of the country.

Qazi sahib, who was speaking at a crowded press conference soon after his arrival here in Karachi on Tuesday night, advised the president to reconsider his decision before the MMA announces its new strategy at its meeting scheduled in Rawalpindi on Dec 19th because after making its decision public, the alliance would not go back and would continue to pursue its new strategy.

The MMA chief, who arrived in the city to preside over the supreme council meeting of the six religious parties' alliance on Wednesday, said there was no difference of opinion among alliance leaders on the issue of National Security Council and in their tomorrow's session, they would take a decision about their participation in the NSC meeting.

He said that Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, who is also leader of the opposition in the National Assembly besides secretary general of the MMA, was at liberty to meet anyone, including Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and secretary general of the NSC. However, he said, that Maulana Fazl-ur-rehman would give a detailed briefing about his meetings.

The MMA chief said that the Maulana also had a meeting on Tuesday with ARD leaders. Qazi Sahib said Maulana Fazl would also brief about the ARD decision in the meeting fixed Wednesday.

In response to another question, he said that MMA did not ever call for dissolution of assemblies. He said that the MMA supreme council would also deliberate about its future strategy in case the President did not shed off his uniform as required under the 17th Amendment.

"We supported the 17th amendment and accepted him as a civilian president till 2007 only after it was incorporated in the amendment that he would give up his uniform by Dec 31st.

In his opening statement, Qazi Sahib, who was flanked by Syed Munawwar Hasan, Allama HasanTurabi, Hafiz Muhammad Taqui and other party leaders presented a bleak picture of the situation prevailing in the country in almost all sectors from economy, politics and law and order, and said that the country instead of making any headway in the economy was drifting towards poverty and poverty was on the increase as the graph of people living below poverty-line was on the rise, unemployment was all-time high and the soaring prices had made the life of white coloured and retired people miserable.

The MMA chief said in our Teusday's meeting, arrangements for the public meeting of Nov 28 would be reviewed. He said although they have not yet received a written permission for the Nishtar Park meeting, the Interior Minister, Aftab Sherpao, has informed them that the government would not create any hurdle in their meeting.

He said if the Nishtar Park public meeting was allowed, it would prove a milestrone in history, but if permission was denied, the MMA would hold public rallies at 1,000 vintage points of the city and countrywide protests would be launched.